


on a valentine's day

by montecarlos



Category: GP2 Series RPF
Genre: Break Up, Feelings Realization, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 14:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13683363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/montecarlos/pseuds/montecarlos
Summary: “Mitch, I think we should break up,” Artem says halfway through the seafood linguine. He doesn’t look at Mitch as he says the words, afraid to gauge his reaction.Artem breaks up with Mitch on Valentine's Day. Luckily, he's got a best friend (who he's had feelings for for years) in Alex.





	on a valentine's day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Paridise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paridise/gifts).



> It's been a while since I wrote any driver fiction, but well, it's Valentine's Day and my lovely wife Ailisha agreed to be my Valentine so I decided to throw off the dust and write something. I hope you enjoy this, lovely. 
> 
> Thanks to Kim for the pep talk and to my brain for been able to write something under 10k for once. 
> 
> Title from Valentine's Day by Linkin Park.

“Mitch, I think we should break up,” Artem says halfway through the seafood linguine. He doesn’t look at Mitch as he says the words, afraid to gauge his reaction.    
  
Mitch’s fork stills on his food. He didn’t see that coming. When Artem had invited him to the fancy restaurant, he thought it was to treat him on Valentine’s Day, to make a bigger commitment. They’d been dating for two years and Mitch thought Artem was preparing their future together. He couldn’t be more wrong. Artem stares at him with guilty eyes, placing his fork down on the table.    
  
“Why?” Mitch asks, mouth open.    
  
“It’s not working anymore, Mitch,” Artem says, fiddling with his napkin. “We’re not as close as we used to be,”   
  
“We literally had sex last night, Artem,” Mitch replies, hurt. “Is there someone else?”   
  
“No,” Artem shakes his head a little too quickly. “I wouldn’t - I just-”   
  
“You just what?” Mitch presses, feeling a curl of anger ripple through his chest. “You’re lying,”   
  
“I don’t love you anymore,” Artem bites out, worrying his lip. “I felt this way for a while now-”   
  
“And you never said anything?” Mitch says, feeling the tears prick in the corners of his eyes. “You’re lying to me, I know you too well,”   
  
“I didn’t want to hurt you, Mitch,” Artem’s voice is soft, his eyes glancing down to his cooling plate of food.    
  
Mitch bites back a laugh. “You’ve got a funny way of doing that. Start talking,”   
  
“It was nothing but a stupid mistake,” Artem mutters out, guilt flooding his features. “I just - I was drunk and it happened-”   
  
“It happened? You got drunk and you just happened to fall into someone’s ass?” Mitch hisses, feeling his cheeks burn red.    
  
“It didn’t mean anything, Mitch,” Artem says, his voice still soft.    
  
“So why are you breaking up with me?”    
  
“Because it made me realise that I don’t love you anymore,” Artem says quietly.    
  
Mitch pushes away his plate, feeling nausea curl inside his chest. He’s heard enough. He doesn’t remember much after that - Artem’s soft pleads for him to come back to the car, but he ignores them and focuses on the sound of the rain falling against the pavement. His head is still spinning as he begins to walk away from the restaurant, away from his old, normal life. Two years of his life gone in a flash. He feels the tears falling down his cheeks as he trudges through the streets, not sure where he is going and not really caring. The rain continues to fall.    
  
He’s not sure how he ends up at the familiar red door of his best friend’s house. He knows that he should go home. His dad will be worried sick. But he wants someone to hold him, to tell him that it’s going to be okay. He knocks on the door - it’s soft, hesitant - what if Alex has someone over? What if he doesn’t have time for Mitch?    
  
His thoughts are interrupted by the door slowly opening and the beautiful, concerned face of his best friend stares back at him as though he’s seen a ghost. “Mitch? What are you doing here?”   
  
“I-” Mitch whispers, a sob ripping through his throat as he curls closer inside his soaked leather jacket. “I’m sorry, I should go-” However, as he turns around, a warm hand wraps around his waist and pulls him back. Brown eyes stare into his.    
  
“No, please come in,” Alex’s voice is soft and Mitch finds himself relenting, guided into Alex’s flat. Nothing has changed much since he was last here - there’s a pile of books on the coffee table, next to a mug of tea that has probably long gone cold. Alex slowly pushes him into the soft cushions of the couch, muttering something about ‘soaking’ and ‘towels’, disappearing out of Mitch’s view for a moment.    
  
Mitch flinches as a warm soft towel is wrapped around his shoulders, Alex’s warm brown eyes swim in front of his vision. “It’s okay,” He murmurs softly. “You’re freezing,” His voice is full of concern, his hands warm against Mitch’s cold skin.    
  
Mitch can’t help but lean into the touch. “Artem broke up with me,” He whispers, feeling tears prick in the corners of his eyes.    
  
Alex’s eyes widen a fraction. “What? Why?” He rubs the towel over Mitch’s hair, swiping away the water droplets dripping down his forehead.    
  
“He slept with someone else...said he doesn’t love me anymore,” Mitch grounds out, letting a sob tear from his chest. “I loved him so much, Alex-”   
  
“He’s an idiot,” Alex’s voice is so soft. “He’s a fucking fool if he doesn’t want to be with you,”   
  
“I thought he was going to ask me to move in with him or something. I never thought-” Mitch sobs, burying his head into the towel. “He’d b-break up with me on Valentine’s Day,”   
  
“Did he say who the other guy was?”    
  
“N-no,” Mitch whispers, his voice weak. “Just some random n-nobody. How could he throw everything away like that?”   
  
“Because he’s a fucking idiot,” Alex says, bitterness tinging his tone. “Doesn’t know what he’s got in front of him,”   
  
“Am I so unloveable?” Mitch says quietly, tears still falling down his cheeks. His glassy eyes lock on Alex’s. “What did I do wrong?”   
  
Alex’s hand brushes against his cheek. “You did nothing wrong, Mitch,” His voice is soothing. “Nothing at all,” His fingers swipes over the tanned skin, catching a lone tear that leaks from Mitch’s eye.    
  
“You’re just saying that,” Mitch says, looking away.    
  
Alex turns his face back, brown eyes locking on hazel ones. “I am not just saying that, Mitchy. You deserve better than him,”   
  
Mitch nods once, another sob tearing through his chest. “Sorry-”   
  
“Hey,” Alex says, his finger stroking over Mitch’s cheek. “Stop apologising. You’ve got nothing to be sorry for,”   
  
“I’m making a puddle on your couch,” Mitch says, a small smile painting the corner of his lips.    
  
“It’ll dry,” Alex smiles back. “And if it doesn’t, I’ll send you my cleaning bill,” He pulls his hand away and Mitch finds himself missing the warmth from the older man’s hand.   
  
Mitch bites back a laugh. “You make more money than I do,”   
  
“Good point,” Alex says, grinning. “Do you want some tea?”   
  
Mitch opens his mouth to argue - Alex knows he  _ hates  _ tea.    
  
“I’m kidding,” Alex says, holding his hands up as though in surrender. “One vanilla and caramel latte coming up,”   
  
“You’re the best,” Mitch replies, a small smile curling on his lips as he pulls the towel closer, watching his best friend move to the kitchen. He takes in the sight of Alex in his plaid pyjama pants and his ratty white t-shirt, at the curve of his back when he bends down to grab the milk from the fridge. He feels something flutter at his chest at the sight of Alex, but pushes it away.    
  
He used to nurse the biggest crush on Alex - back when they were teenagers, when he had floppy hair and Alex had spots everywhere, but he never acted on it, he only smiled when Alex mentioned girls. But Alex had met Ollie and everything had changed. Alex went from being straight and safe - to suddenly being bisexual and unavailable. Mitch had pined his way through college, until he’d met Artem. Artem had made him forget about Alex. Even when Ollie and Alex had broken up, Mitch still held onto Artem, pushed away all feeling for Alex. Artem was a good guy, he bought Mitch flowers and cooked him dinner. He was the perfect boyfriend.    
  
Until he wasn’t. Mitch worries his lip as he thinks about Artem, about all the times he’d sloped in late from work. Had it just been the once? Had Artem fallen in love with the other guy? A warm mug is pushed into his hands, pulling him away from his thoughts.   
  
“Vanilla caramel latte with extra syrup,” Alex says, smiling at him as he sits down next to him. His thigh brushes against Mitch’s knee and the curl of warmth bubbles up in Mitch’s chest again.    
  
“Thanks,”   
  
“Do you wanna talk anymore about it?” Alex’s voice is soft.    
  
Mitch shakes his head, focusing on his cup. “Not really…it hurts just thinking about it if I’m honest,” He pauses for a moment. “I just thought...I thought he was going to be the person I spent the rest of my life with,”   
  
“It’s always hard when things don’t work out,” Alex says, taking a sip of his own drink - tea of course, what else - his brown eyes sympathetic.    
  
“I just can’t believe he’d do this to me,” Mitch whispers, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He feels the warmth of Alex’s arm brush against his shoulder, pulling him closer.    
  
“He doesn’t deserve you. He never did,” Alex murmurs, brushing a tiny kiss against Mitch’s forehead. Mitch feels his eyes close at the sensation. Alex never fails to make him feel safe. “Let’s watch a movie,”    
  
Mitch nods against his collarbone, his head falling into the slot between Alex’s head and shoulder as the familiar face of Chris Hemsworth fills the screen, a grin painting his lips. Alex always did love his superhero films.    
  
He falls asleep halfway through, lulled into comfort by the warmth of Alex’s arm and the constant thud of the older man’s heart against his ear. He wakes up to Alex leaning over him, his fingers brushing against Mitch’s to take the empty cup from his hands. He must make a small noise at been disturbed but Alex smiles at him. “Just making sure you don’t spill cold syrup on yourself,”   
  
Mitch snorts lightly but he buries himself into Alex’s shoulder, his nose pressing against the thin cotton of his t-shirt. “Sorry,”   
  
“For what?”   
  
“You probably have better things to do on Valentine’s Day than sit and comfort your best friend,” Mitch says quietly.    
  
“There’s no place I’d rather be on Valentine’s Day,” Alex says, squeezing his shoulder.    
  
Mitch sighs heavily. “Why can’t my boyfriends be like you?”   
  
Alex lets out a light laugh. “Can’t all be perfect like me eh?”   
  
“You are perfect,” The words fall from his mouth before he can stop them. He can feel Alex still against him and his heart pounds against his ribcage as he pulls his head away from the warm shoulder. “Alex, I’m sorry-”   
  
“No, don’t apologise,” Alex murmurs softly. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for,” He whispers, his hand moving to curl over Mitch’s cheek. Mitch leans into the touch, his eyes locking on Alex’s. They seem to hold each other’s gaze for a moment before Mitch leans in, his breath brushing against Alex’s cheek. Alex doesn’t move, doesn’t pull away and Mitch closes the gap. Their lips collide in a soft close-mouthed kiss. Alex’s lips are warm and slightly chapped, Mitch realises as his chest curls with heat, something tingling there that he can’t quite place. However, before he can explore his feelings further, Alex pulls away, looking panicked.    
  
“I’m so sorry,” Alex murmurs, his cheeks red.    
  
“For what?” Mitch whispers, missing Alex’s lips. “I was the one who kissed you,”   
  
“Because I took advantage of you,” Alex says, pushing a hand through his hair. “You’ve just broke up with your boyfriend and you’re confused and you’re hurt and I made it worse-”   
  
“Alex,” Mitch says softly. “I wanted to do that,” He can feel the blush burning his cheeks.    
  
But Alex doesn’t hear. He continues on about how it was a mistake, how sorry he is and Mitch has had enough. He silences Alex with his lips once more but this time the kiss is longer, deeper. Mitch can feel Alex relax and melt against him, his tongue teasing over the crease of Alex’s lips. Alex moans against him and Mitch smiles against his lips. His hand slowly caresses over Alex’s cheek, moving to cup over the back of his neck, his fingertips tickling the soft hair.    
  
The kiss seems to last a lifetime before Mitch slowly pulls away, his eyes locking on Alex’s. “Mitch, I-”   
  
“I don’t regret a thing,” Mitch whispers, his gaze never leaving Alex’s. “I wanted to do that,”   
  
“You’re confused, Mitch, you don’t know-”   
  
“Don’t make me kiss you again,” Mitch says, smiling as he leans in.    
  
“Is that a threat, Evans?” Alex teases back, smiling back.    
  
“Maybe,” Mitch whispers as their lips brush together once more. It might be the end of one chapter for Mitch, but there’s a new one beginning and he can’t wait to start it.    



End file.
